HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The amended motion was put, and carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved the following resolution :--
"Resolved that the City Hall (Policy) Select Committee should consider the co-option of members of the public to one or more of the City Hall Select Committees in accordance with Standing Order 22(1).”
He said: Mr. Chairman, judging from the proceedings particularly at question time, the Chairman is getting rather afraid of supplementary questions and he may be perhaps more inclined to receiving more motions, or perhaps, being a member of the civil service, now and then he-
(Hon. D.P.W. left the meeting at 5.29 p.m.)
MR. SALES :-Is Mr. Cheong-Leen speaking to the motion or against his own motion?
CHAIRMAN :-He is speaking against the Chairman !
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Sometimes the Chairman does receive orders from higher up whether or not to permit supplementary questions. To get on with the motion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to draw the attention of Members to Standing Order 22(1) which authorizes Council to co-opt members of the public to any Select Committee, provided that "at least two-thirds of the members of every such Committee shall be members of the Council".
So far, Council has not yet co-opted any member of the public to any of its Select Committees under this Standing Order.
We have, however, gone as far as co-opting representatives from various Government Departments to participate in the work of some of the Select Committees. For instance, P.W.D. and the Labour Department have representatives sitting on the Air Conditioning Select Committee. A representative of the Medical Department has been co-opted to the Health Education, the Market (Executive) and the Nuisance and Miscellaneous Notices Select Committees. The Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Department has an official co-opted to the Slaughter House Select Committee. Also, Education Department and the Legal Department have officials sitting on other Select Committees.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
We may well ask whether members of the public whom Council may consider can make a constructive contribution should not be invited to sit on any of our City Hall Select Committees.
The City Hall (Policy) Select Committee ought to be holding its first meeting some time this month, I hope, and I think it is very important that this matter of co-option be considered by the Committee at this very first meeting.
If the Committee should decide that members of the public should be co-opted, I would put forward the suggestion that co-option should take place at the earliest possible date.
The question of who should be co-opted is entirely a matter for the Select Committee to decide and to recommend to Council.
Mr. Chairman, I have learned a little while ago that some of my colleagues on the Appointed Unofficial side would prefer to abstain from voting on this motion-it seems to be the fashion this afternoon-and in order to preserve harmony and goodwill in this Council, I am now requesting my colleague, Mr. Li Yiu Bor-who was supposed to have seconded the motion—not to second it. But I would ask the Chairman to be good enough to put the points I have raised to the City Hall (Policy) Select Committee. Government's communication on the City Hall was received three months ago, the P.W.D. is commencing work on the City Hall site, and I think the Select Committee ought to have its first meeting some time this month.
Mr. Chairman, we need not vote on this motion since it has no seconder.
CHAIRMAN:-I don't think there has ever been a case of this nature before.
MR. BERNACCHI :-Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have had several motions in the early days which have lapsed for lack of a seconder.
CHAIRMAN:-Can I take it that there is no seconder? The motion has lapsed.
ADJOURNMENT.
CHAIRMAN :-That concludes the business of this meeting and the Council stands adjourned until the March meeting.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The amended motion was put, and carried.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved the following resolution :--
"Resolved that the City Hall (Policy) Select Committee should consider the co-option of members of the public to one or more of the City Hall Select Com- mittees in accordance with Standing Order 22(1).”
He said: Mr. Chairman, judging from the proceedings particularly at question time, the Chairman is getting rather afraid of supplementary questions and he may be perhaps more inclined to receiving more motions, or perhaps, being a member of the civil service, now and then he-
(Hon. D.P.W. left the meeting at 5.29 p.m.)
MR. SALES :-Is Mr. Cheong-Leen speaking to the motion or against his own motion?
CHAIRMAN :-He is speaking against the Chairman !
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Sometimes the Chairman does receive orders from higher up whether or not to permit supplementary questions. To get on with the motion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to draw the attention of Members to Standing Order 22(1) which authorizes Council to co-opt members of the public to any Select Committee, provided that "at least two-thirds of the mem- bers of every such Committee shall be members of the Council".
So far, Council has not yet co-opted any member of the public to any of its Select Committees under this Standing Order.
We have, however, gone as far as co-opting representatives from various Government Departments to participate in the work of some of the Select Committees. For instance, P.W.D. and the Labour Department have representatives sitting on the Air Conditioning Select Committee. A representative of the Medical Department has been co-opted to the Health Education, the Market (Executive) and the Nuisance and Miscellaneous Notices Select Committees. The Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Department has an official co-opted to the Slaughter House Select Committee. Also, Éducation Department and the Legal Depart- ment have officials sitting on other Select Committees.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
241
We may well ask whether members of the public whom Council may consider can make a constructive contribution should not be invited to sit on any of our City Hall Select Committees.
The City Hall (Policy) Select Committee ought to be holding its first meeting some time this month, I hope, and I think it is very important that this matter of co-option be considered by the Committee at this very first meeting.
If the Committee should decide that members of the public should be co-opted, I would put forward the suggestion that co- option should take place at the earliest possible date.
The question of who should be co-opted is entirely a matter for the Select Committee to decide and to recommend to Council.
Mr. Chairman, I have learned a little while ago that some of my colleagues on the Appointed Unofficial side would prefer to abstain from voting on this motion-it seems to be the fashion this afternoon-and in order to preserve harmony and goodwill in this Council, I am now requesting my colleague, Mr. Li Yiu Bor-who was supposed to have seconded the motion—not to second it. But I would ask the Chairman to be good enough to put the points I have raised to the City Hall (Policy) Select Committee. Government's communication on the City Hall was received three months ago, the P.W.D. is commencing work on the City Hall site, and I think the Select Committee ought to have its first meeting some time this month.
Mr. Chairman, we need not vote on this motion since it has no seconder.
CHAIRMAN: -I don't think there has ever been a case of this nature before.
MR. BERNACCHI :-Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have had several motions in the early days which have lapsed for lack of a seconder.
CHAIRMAN:-Can I take it that there is no seconder? The motion has lapsed.
ADJOURNMENT.
CHAIRMAN :-That concludes the business of this meeting and the Council stands adjourned until the March meeting.
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